Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Barack Obama

Last night, our country elected Barack Obama to our highest governmental office. You may agree with his views, or you may disagree with him. I tend to agree with him more often than not. But no matter what one's political persuasions may be, I think that one has to look at what just happened with a certain degree of awe.

Until last night, we were a country that, over our entire 200 year history, had exclusively been led by white males. This is a country that, for all its goodness and high ideals, was also built upon a foundation of slavery, discrimination, and bigotry. But now, overnight, we are also a country with a President Elect who is a black man.

There are only a few moments in your life when you know that a massively important, historic event has just occurred that forever changes the world around you. Last night was one of those events. Paige is going to grow up in a world in which the concept of a black U.S. President isn't a pipe dream, isn't unusual, and isn't even remarkable. It will be old news. Uninteresting. Normal.

That's amazing.
-dad

2 comments:

Matt said...

Glad you helped put Pennsylvania and thus the nation over the top for Barack. Mom, dad and I downed a bottle of champagne in his honor on election night. What an amazing day after weeks of nervousness that McCain/Palin would be elected.

Jen said...

I'll be excited to tell our next child that they were born with Barak Obama as president. As for Paige, well...sorry.

The Urban Dictionary has coined a new term, the Obama Baby: “A child conceived after Obama was proclaimed President by way of celebratory sex, or any baby born under Barack Obama’s term(s).”